??International Medicine: Nigeria??

I’ve been waiting to do this country for such a long time! I’ve said it before- I’m #876 all day, everyday, but deep in the recesses of my heart is our next country- NIGERIA!  Needless to say, a lot has been going on these past few weeks as it regards the #ENDSARS protests. We’re seeing young, old, students, professionals, everyone- being involved in making their voices heard about the pervasive problem of abuse of power. We here at Medcute support this movement and being a medical space, want to give an extra spotlight to our med students from 9ja. What’s medical school like in the most populated country in Africa? Olaitan’s about to let us know. Welcome back to #InternationalMedicine: Nigeria!

Introduce yourself!
OA: Hi! My name is Olaitan Adeyoola! (@_darasimi_xo)I’m 19 and currently live and study in Nigeria. Studying here is definitely an experience. But I appreciate the vast amount of cases we get to see as well as spending fewer years to study medicine.

Why did you choose medicine? Or did medicine choose you?
OA: Honestly I couldn’t think of anything that interested me except medicine. When I was younger, I kept saying I wanted to be a scientist then I grew up to not enjoy that anymore. From secondary school anyway, I decided I wanted to be a doctor.

Did you always want to study medicine in Nigeria? What’s the story there?
OA: My dad didn’t really want me to live without my parents abroad to study while I was young because I graduated high school at 15. So the plan had always been to study medicine in Nigeria. I really didn’t have an issue with that because I know there’s that possibility of practicing abroad.

How do you apply for medical school in Nigeria? OA: It’s a bit straightforward. When you write JAMB, you fill in your top choice universities. Jamb would connect you with those universities and send your results from the exam to them. You could also search for the university’s website and go through the admission steps there. Sometimes you might actually have to go to the school if the other methods don’t work. There are a number of notable medical programmes in Nigeria especially the ones in University of Ibadan and University of Ilorin. These are older universities that have a reputation of excellence. I would personally recommend my university to international students, Babcock University- the Ben Carson School of Medicine. I love the program, it’s has a well planned out schedule also giving a great quality of learning and it’s environment. It has been running for almost 10 years now and it’s really good.

What does medical school entail there? 
OA: In Nigeria, an average medical school lasts for 6 years and 1 year of internship. Depending on the school you attend, whether public or private, the period may extend by a few months or years due to strikes.

What’s the normal professional trajectory after graduating from medical school in Nigeria? 
OA: Practicing Medicine here after graduating from school begins with you being a house officer/intern. That lasts for a year. Then NYSC would be pursued to actually work in Nigeria which also lasts another year. When you’re done with that, you become a resident doctor. The number of years you spend in residency would depend on what field of medicine you specialize in. When the Residency Program is over and all exams are passed, then you can be called a Consultant.

What does a normal day look like for you? 
OA: In my school, I live on campus. So I wake up 1 and a half hours before class to get ready. Usually any thing in relation to getting ready, I would do the night before. I’ll then go for my classes which usually last the whole day. If I have breaks in between I do assignments and In the evening to nighttime, I try my best to read as much as I can. I meet up with some of my classmates 3-4 times a week just to study, go through past questions, ask about and understand things we’ve been taught.

What do you do to destress? 
OA: I watch movies a lot! I really used to enjoy reading fictional novels but I think I read a lot to last me for a while I also enjoy talking with my friends, going through social media, just unplugging.

If you could give advice to yourself in your first year of medicine, what would you say? OA: Be more outgoing I was taking medicine so seriously and yes that’s a good thing but I didn’t let myself build enough friendships from the first year and the workload is a lot more now so I really can’t be as outgoing as I can be

What do you hope life will be like for you in the next ten years? 
OA: I would really like to be a consultant with a part time teaching job. I’m not exactly sure on what part of Medicine I would like to study but I’ve narrowed it down to General Surgery or Obstetrics and Gynaecology. I would also want to have a family and be very happy with myself and my life. 

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Thanks a million to Olaitan for showing us that 9ja no dey carry last! LOL. Sorry to all my Nigerian readers, I tried.  Follow her on instagram @_darasimi_xo  for super cool everyday content. Also, get informed about the #ENDSARS movement- its a worldwide movement! Support!